The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-27
STORIES OF A REMINISCENT.
Gambling Sharks 0utwitted by the Bluff
Of a Mississippi State Officer.
Santa Annals One Nights Lodging in Ken
tacky Tavern-An Amusement Afforded
Him by His Companions of Travel.

time gather at Mr. Ignatius Browns Office, on
East Market street. and indulge in "reminiscences
Among those who thus talk Of days that were Is
Capt J. H. Oelesby. When he talks, he reaches
20 far back into an tiquity that Gen. Geo. +. Nc
Gnnis, Gen. Fred Kneher, Gen. John Coburn
Hilary Clay, Mr. Brown and whatever other
reminiscents chance to be present Immediately
put up the shutters and listen. Captain Oglespy
Is slender, active. quick-stepping bright-eyed
old gentleman whom practiced guesser would
take to be about sixty-fve years old, when in
fact he is within year or so OF eighty. lie
has marvellous memory and declares he never
had headache or backache in his life. For a
great many years he was steamboat clerk,
afterwards steamboat captain on the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers The conversation started
about Madison, Ind, and the days of her glory
as river town and then drifted on:
II lived in Madison said the Captain, "seven-
ty-one years ago. and if were to go there to-day
/ would be the oldest human being in breeches
to walk her streets. OF all the persons who were
there seventy-one years ago there are but two
living there now-two old ladies. E. l began run
ming the Mississippi river ffty-two years ago.
! have, of course, seen great amount of gam
bling on the river, but never saw any shooting
or stabbing over game of cards. / have seen
good many big games. A game long talked about
on the river was that played by Governor George
Poindexter, of Mississippi. knew him we'll but
did not see the game. At one time he was fund
commissioner, or something of that kind, for
Mississippi He had business in New York to
negotiate money on bonds, ostensibly for in
ternal improvements in Mississippi. He was re-
turning from that city and had large sum Of
money with him. 1t was along in the autumn,
the season when the Ohio is always very
bow. He left Louisville on a small stern wheel
boat the only kind that could run, as the water
was not over thirty inches deep on the bars
Three gamblers took passage at Louisville
on the boat They knew Polndexters
fondness for cards, that he would play high, and
they had made up plot to clean him out. In
those days they played poker with twenty cards
the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of each
suit The boat was several days in getting
from Louisville to Cairo and Poindexter and
che three sharks were busy at play. Then they
usually played without limit and the result was,
the gamblers, having played their fish long
enough, we're about to take him in. They had
all their money on the table. Poindexter had a
very poor hand, and OF the gamblers, of
course, had the winning hand. Two Of
the gamblers dropped out and the other
making heavy bet piled up his last dollar. The
Governor said he didn't have money enough
there to call him, bat he thought he might be
able to borrow some of a friend. Very WELL
said the gambler, III give you just ten minutes
to raise the money Poindexter went about try
ing to borrow of the passengers, and then went
to the clerk of the boat The amount he asked
for nearly as much as the boat would sell
for, and the clerk had no such sum on hand even
to lend to Governor Poindexter The latter
then went to his state room, where he had an old
carpet-sack with trusty servant guarding it
and returned to the gaming table, followed
by The darkey with the csrpet-sack
his shoulder. Now Numbered Poindexter,
as he threw open the sack which stuffed
full of bank notes. I will see you, and go you
three hundred thousand dollars better! And III
give you an hour, instead of ten minutes. to
raise it' The faces Of those gamblers would
have been picture for a painter. They got off
the boat at the first landing place wiser and
much sadder men. There was about $40 900 on
the table.
''Fifty-one years ago, one night at Natchez
saw four gentlemen playing poker, at which the
ante was $500, and they would go Thousand
blind. Ono of the players was banker, one a
merchant and the others were cotton planters.
High play quit about forty years ago. Steam
boats began to be held liable for losses at poker
on board, and many steamboat captains would
not allow gambling upon their boats at all. But
the Mississippi is thing of change Fifty years
ago when hrss knew Island No. 10, there
one large plantation and one smaller on
that historic island. At the time of tina Rebeil-
ion the island had shrunk to six acres, eaten
away by the water, and now 1t is entirely oblit
Grated.
SIT was my fortune one time to meet Gen.
Santa Anna, of Mexico, and one of his colonies,
Colonel Amonte. 1t was directly after the bat
tie Of San Jacnto, fought in April 1886, whore
he was defeated by Gen. Sam Houston and his
Texans, and taken prisoner. l was in Indiana,
about 100 miles below Louisville, KY, and when
/ got on a boat to go up the river there was
Santa Anna and Colonel Almonte, on their way
20 N1tv Nnn 10
Anna made the journey was to keep out
of the hands of the Texans, who would have
murdered him, while he gave out that
his mission was to get Mexico to acknowl-
edge the independence of Texas. He was
understanding gentleman, about my size and
dressed in black. He came up to my idea of q
Presbyterian preacher in full rig When we got
up to the canal at Louisville there were two
inches OF ice in it, which had to be broken to let
the boat through. l was in a hurry to get home
10 Madison. but had some business at Louisville,
and in the meantime the boat went on 1t was
only fifty miles to Madison, and / concluded to
walk. had as q companion big, stout, fat.
jolly Kentuckian named Nicholson for part of
the journey. He lived on Big Bone creek. We
walked about ten miles. and stopped at the
house of wealthy lady, widow, who,
horses saddled for US and sent q darkey along
with us to bring the horses back. We went on
80 Brownstown and found that arrangements
were going forward for big frolic ball, and all
Snc young lOlkS lOr lilies IOuuu were CouiiDE III.
OF course we stayed. There were two little
hotels and Nicholson and myself got the last
room. here two beds in it, one for my
fat friend and for myself About night
fall half dozen gentlemen rode up, among
them General Santa Anna and Colonel Almonte.
Eighteen miles above Louisville. at Westport,
the boat, on account of ice, could GO no further
and they were on their way to Lexington where
they could take mail coach and 20 East for
this was before the days of railroads The land
lord of our hotel was much troubled about lodg
Ing the two distinguished Mexicans The room
Nicholson and l occupied was the only one that
afforded any chance at all, and we agreed
to double UP and let the Mexicans have
the other bed. Kentuckians were